- A thunderstorm hit Carcar before dawn, then more hot and humid days
- Visayas grid on yellow alert again as regulators question 13 power companies
- DTI and NFA say rice and water container supplies are steady ahead of El Niño
- Depositors of the closed Medellin rural bank have until 15 November to claim
A thunderstorm hit Carcar before dawn, then more hot and humid days
PAGASA Visayas issued a thunderstorm advisory at 5:50 a.m. on Thursday, 5 November, saying moderate to heavy rain with lightning and strong winds was falling over the City of Carcar and could last one to two hours, with Sibonga expected to be hit next. After that, PAGASA Visayas expects the easterlies to keep Cebu warm and humid for the next few days. Cebu's highest heat index on Wednesday was 38°C, and it may reach 39°C to 41°C in the coming days. Any thunderstorms should be short, usually one to two hours. No heavy rainfall warning is up.
If you are out early, watch for flooded low spots and fallen branches, and stay away from open fields while there is lightning. For the rest of the week, plan around the heat: drink water often, keep children and older relatives out of the noon sun, and check on anyone working outdoors. 39°C to 41°C is in PAGASA's extreme caution range, where heat cramps and exhaustion are possible.
Visayas grid on yellow alert again as regulators question 13 power companies
NGCP put the Visayas grid on yellow alert from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 4 November, with 2,799 MW available against a peak demand of 2,586 MW. It blamed the loss of major coal units, including Therma Visayas Unit 2 and Palm Concepcion Power. About 695 MW was out across 24 plants that were down or running below capacity. The same day, the Energy Regulatory Commission said it had issued 24 show-cause orders on 14 October to 13 generation companies whose units went over the allowed limits for unplanned outages. It did not name them. Penalties are possible after it reviews their answers.
Carcar's power comes mostly from CEBECO I, which draws on this grid. A yellow alert means the safety margin is thin, not that brownouts are scheduled. Rotating brownouts are more likely under a red alert. Evening peak hours are the risky window, so charge phones and fans in the afternoon and ease off heavy appliances between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
DTI and NFA say rice and water container supplies are steady ahead of El Niño
At a briefing on Wednesday, 4 November, DTI 7 said prices of basic goods across Central Visayas are steady and that it will keep monitoring them until 31 December. Since 19 October it has also been surveying water containers, checking sizes, prices and stocks at stores and water refilling stations, after concerns about panic buying in some areas. NFA 7 said it holds 47,054 bags of rice in the region, 41,704 of them in Cebu, and that more shipments from surplus regions are on the way.
There is no shortage of rice or water containers right now, so buy what your household needs and no more. If a store in Carcar raises the price of containers or basic goods sharply, note the store and price and report it to DTI 7.
Sources: SunStar, SunStar Superbalita Cebu
Depositors of the closed Medellin rural bank have until 15 November to claim
The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation says depositors of the closed Community Rural Bank of Medellin (Cebu) must file their insurance claims by Sunday, 15 November 2026, two years after PDIC took over the bank. As of 30 September, PDIC had paid out ₱31.3 million, or 99 percent of insured deposits, but 78 accounts worth about ₱295,600 had not been claimed. Claims can be sent by email to pad@pdic.gov.ph with a scanned notarized claim form, proof of deposit and a valid ID, or by mail or courier to PDIC in Makati. The claim form and filing are free.
If you or a relative had an account with this bank, file now: the deadline is ten days away and comes from the PDIC charter, so do not count on an extension. Email is the quickest route. The form is on the PDIC website, and the PDIC toll-free line is 1-800-1-888-7342.
Sources: PDIC, The Chronicle
